Attachment for sprinkler systems.



No. 870.792. PATENTED NOV. 12. 1907.

J. MOALEAR.

ATTACHMENT FOR SPRINKLER SYSTEMS.

APPLICATION FILED HOV.1B. 1905.

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Y wm/5555. MMM/rw? J/VEJ maf/QR No. 870,792- PATENTED NGV. 12, 1907.

` J.. MQALEAR.

ATTACHMENT FOR SPRINKLEB. SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED HOV. 1B. 1905.

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PAUL', MINNESOTA.

ATTACHiMlENT FOR SPRIN'KLER SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters lPatent.

l Patented Nov. 12, 1907.

Application lod NO'Bmbr 18. 1905. Serial No. 287.993.

o all u'lmm il. may concern:

lle it known that I, JAMES McALE/m, of St. Paul, Ramsey eonnty, Minnesota. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Sprinkler Systems, of which the following is a specification.

in putting a sprinkler system in working order, after a tire. it is customary to replace the burned-out heads, close the valve leading to the system, admit air under pressure thereto if it is a dry pipe system, and. finally, .tpl-n the water inlet valve so that as soon as thepressure is relieved in the system by the opening of a head, the sprinkler valve will open automatically and allow the water to rush in. lt sometimes happens, however, in the haste of putting the system in order, that the operator will set and elose the sprinkler valve and turn the pressure on the system and the sprinkler heads, but forget to open the water inlet valve and go away leaving this valve elosed and the system, consequently, entirely inopemtive s) far as beingr a preventative of fire is concerned.

The object, therefore, of my invention is to provide means, whereby when pressure is admitted to the system, the water inlet valve will be automatically opened and the system thereby rendered operative.

The invention eonsists, generally, in providing means eonnected with the inlet valve and with the system for automatically opening the valve when the pressure enters the. system.

In the aeeoxnlmnying drawings forming part of this speeitieat ion, Figure l represents a side elevation of a sprinkler system valve showing my invention and the u atei' inli-t valve in section applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a seetioual v iew of a sprinkler valve normally in communication with the system and having an automatic attaehment. for opening the water inlet valve. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the valve-loeking meehanism looking in tho direi-lion of the arrow in Fig. 2.

in the drawing, 2 represents the sprinkler system valve, of any suitable eonstruel ion.

3 is a pipe leading to the sprinkler system, 4 the water inlt't pipe. and 5 a easing having a gate valve 6 which (ontrots the flow oi water to the sprinkler valve and the system.

i is a drip pipe connected Awith the system for draw- -ing oit' the water therefrom after a fire.

is a valve provided in the drip pipe which is noftnally kept in a closed position.

9 is a. eylinder closed at one end and opi-n at the other to the atmosphere, and having a. piston l0 provided with a rod ll which forms the stom of the gate valve and passes through suitable stalling boxes 12 in the closed end of said cylinder and the easing of the water inlet valve. A branch pipo 13 conneets the closed end of the cylinder with the pipe 7 above the valve 8. A rod 14 is connected with said piston and has a rack bar 15 engaged by a pinion 16 provided with an operating crank 17. A spring 18 normally draws the piston 10 toward the closed end oi said cylinder, and a dog 19 engages the teeth of the rack bar 15 and looks the piston and bar against movement toward the closed end ofthe cylinder, or to close the water inlet valve.

The attendant having drained the sprinkler system and closed the sprinkler and drip valves, will admit air to the system, and as it flows down through the pipe 7 into the cylinder, the piston will be actuated automatically to open the water inlet valve, the dog 19 slipping over the teeth of the niek har and allowing the piston to be moved to open the valve, but positively locking it against movement in the other direction to close tbe valve.

lt will, of course, be necessary before draining the system after a tire to shut the water inlet valve, and this is accomplished automatically in the following manner. As soon as the drip valve is open the water will tiow down past the branch pipe 13 from the sprinkler system and form a suction which will exhaust the air from the closed end of the cylinder and allow the at mospherie pressure on the other side of the piston to move it. toward the right, after the dog has been raised by band, and close the water inlet valve. This may also be done by hand by raising the dog 19 and operating.' the crank 1T. 1t will not he possible, however, to close thisl valve hy accident or design while the system is in working order, as the pressure on the right hand side oi the piston will be too great to he overcome by the opemtionof the pinion and luck har mechanism. Xo mischievous or maliciously inclined person could therefore tamper with the valve and render the system inoperative.

ln Fig. 2 I have shown the application ot my .tutomatic attaehment toa type et' valve where the pressure is normally in the valve which communicates directly with the sprinkler system in distinction from the type shown in Fig. 1, where the sprinkler valve is normally eut off from communication with the s vst em. The water inlet. valve is shown closed in this figure, while it is.

open iu Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, 20 represents the valve easing having an inlet pon 2l opposite a port 22 which leads to the system, the passage between these ports being straightway and unobstructed. AA chamber 23 is provided within the valve20 in communication with the sprinkler system through the port 22. A valve 24, which l will hereinafter designate as the main valve, closes the port 2l, and a lever 2.5 pivotwl at 2S on the casing 20 has a screw 27 provided with a ball and socket bearing 27 0n the disk 24. One end o the lever 25, on one sido of the port 2l, has a knife-edge hearing 25 in the upper end of a rod 26', the lower cud of which is threaded and projectsl down through a stufling box 26 in a bushing 27 that ia locktal by o. pin 27". A pin 28 enters a slot 28 in the rod 26 and looks it against rotation but permits its longitudinal movement. A nut 29 0n the end ofthe rod 2G allows longitudinal adjustment of said rod to increase or decrease the pressture of the lever 25 on the valve 24 without opening the valve casing. A lever 28 is pivoted at 29 on the other side of the port 21, and is provided with links 30 having slots 3l wherein s. mller32 is loosely mounted and adapted to bear on the end ol the lever 25 opposite the rod 26. A lug 33 on the lever 28 above the roller 32 limits upward movement ol' the same and forms a surface on which the said roller moves when the lev er 28 is operated. A rock shaft 34 is mounted in the casing 20 above the lever 28, and is provided with an oscillating hub 3l having a recess 35 to receive the end o1' said lever. The hub 34 has au arm 36 and links 37 pivoted thereon and provided with a. slot 38 wherein a roller 39 is mounted. A yoke 40 is mounted on a hub 4l and the arm 36 ia inserted between the yoke and hub with the roller 39 contacting with the yoke on one side and with the arm 36 on the other. A shalt 42 projects through an opening 43 in the hub 4l, and has arrecess 44 to receive a lug 45 on said hub. The recess is of suilcient size to allow a limited rocking movement of the hub thereon. An :mn 46 project:l horizontally from said hub 4l on the opposite side thereof from the yokeI 40, and is pivotally connected by a link 47 with a. valve 48 which closes o port 49 leading to the atmosphere in the wall of the casing 20 at one side ol' the port. 22 and which l will designate as the auxiliary valve. A tap 50 having a series of perfor-ations 5l is provided over the port 49, and u horizontal inner wall 52 is provided with holes 53 adapted to he closed by a. 'vertically moving valve 54 located above the port 49 and limited in its downward movement by a pin 55. The valve 54 will normally remain open by gravity and ltermi! air to pass through the holes 53. As soon, howev er` as the valve 48 is opened the valve 54 will be raised by the pressure flowing through the port 49 to close the holes 53 and prevent the escape oi air or water therethroinzh. When, therefore. the System is made opemtive by the opening of the inlet. valve :md the waiter flows therein, pressure will immediately close thc vulve 5-l and prevent the water from flowing out et' the sprinkler valve through the port 49. The valve 4S n ill be normally held 1 'ainsi its sent by the air pressure in the chamber 13, hut. as mon as this :tir pressure is relieved a weight TIG unified hy the arm lli will pull the valve 18 away from it:l seat and open the port 49. lien the :um 46 drops down the hub 4l will be oscilluted, missing the joke 40 and rclcttsin;v thi` :mn 3G which will swing.: in Inward the valve 24 :ind push the lever 28 off the end 0I1hclevcr25; whereupon the vnlve24 will bc released and the water entering the inlet 'vulve 57 will-mise the Valve-l and rush into the chauihellil, nndfrom thence to the sprinkler system.

It is dcsimhlc in a vulve of this kind lo provide sotuc means l'or locking the auxiliary valve on its seal ,after the closing and setting ot' the main vulve :md until the air prt-mure is turned on the system. und for omonimicullj.' moving r-ald locking means to rch-:isc said v-.dve when the pressure is admitted to the system. and lh(- wutor inlet vulve opt-ucd. l thcrcliorc provide u cylinder 58 havinty u head 59 willi n porl (Si), and n piston ll connected by a stem GZ with the inlcl \nl\.' 57 und having a scat (S3 arranged lo contact with the lit-ud 59 and close the port 60 and bri-vent leakage ol nir around the piston when the water inletw'ulve is open and Ilo' system in in use. 'lhc presence ot' the port (il) in the end of the cylinder will prevent the leakage around the piston when the valve is closed from forming; n cushion in the rear of the piston and intcrferinpr with its operation.

A stem 64 is provided witfh a rack bar and pinion mechanism similar to the one described with reference to lig. l, and also has a roller (54 fitting within a slot 65 in a. lever 66 pivoted at (t7 on the cylinder 5X. The opposite end of the lever G from the slot 65 is provided with :1 slot 68 to receive a roller 69 on the lower end of u. rod which slides vertically in a stullng box 7l and carries a bell crank 72 on its upper end. One arm of said heli crank is threaded, and a cap 73 is' adjust- :lbly mounted thereon and has a bearing 74 on its upper end in the arm 4G. 'lhe other arm of the hell crank 72 in provided with a roller 75 which when the rod 79 is dmwn down will engage the wall of the casing 20 and swing the bell crank on its pivot out. of the path of the arm 46. Rotary movement of the rod 70 is prevented by a guide 76 tilting within a slot 77 in said rod. A drip pipe 78 is connected with the chamber 23, and has u valve 79 anda brunch pipe 8() leading from said pipe to the end of the cylinder 58.

The compound lever mechanism between the main and auxiliary valves of this case, is substantially the same as thnt shown and described in my co-pending applications 2:47.99l and 287,992. ot' even date herewith and l have not. therefore, in this application claimcd specilic-.illy this mechanism except in conncction with novel vfeatures ot' the apparatus not disclosed in said applications.

To put the apparatus shown in Fig. 2 in workin;r order, the main and auxiliary v-.ilvcs are closed und the locking levers adjusted to hold the main valve 24 inw...

on its seat. The rod 79 is then mised until the bcaritrcr 74 cngagcs the arm Alli to hohl it in its mist-d position and the auxiliary vulve agniinst its scat to chse the port 49. The casing 29 is then closed und air pressure admitted to the syslcm. and until the pressure is suilicient to hold the valve 4S against its sent it will be locked by the cngigtment of the bearing 74 with the arm 4G. As the :tir tills the chamber 23 it will tlow down through the pipes 78 and 3() into the cylinder 5S and open the inlet valve 57 in the manner descrilwd with reference to Fig. l. The hmgitudinal movement of the Stem (i4 will rock the lever 661ml draw down the rod 79 until the roller 75 contacta with the casing 20 und swings the cap 73 to the lel't out of the path ot' the arm 46. The valve 1S will then be free to drop by gnu-ily as noon as the nir pressure thereon ie relieved. 1t' it is found after closing the casing 29 that the valve 24 should be tightened. a wrench may be applied to the nul 29 and the lever 25 drawn down to int-rinse its press-nre on the valve. 1n case o lire and the fusing lli 10 admitting water to said system when the pressure tells below a predetermined point, and means whereby when suini system is charged with fluid pressure the said inlet valve will surely and positively be opened, substantially as described.

ln witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15 0th day of November 1905.

JAMES MCALEAB.

Witnesses: v

RICHARD PAUL, C. MAcNAMAnA. 

